FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

Mercedes: New Lewis Hamilton contract 'a matter of time'

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff believes securing Lewis Hamilton’s services beyond 2018 is a formality, insisting a new agreement is “just a matter of time”.

Hamilton has spent his entire racing career affiliated with Mercedes, and joined the team from McLaren in 2013, before signing a new three-year contract extension mid-2015.

Hamilton has claimed three titles, in 2014, 2015 and 2017, and 41 Grand Prix victories since switching to Mercedes, but is entering the final year of his contract.

Wolff, though, expects to wrap up a new deal with Hamilton, believing ongoing discussions are developing in a positive manner.

“Lewis has become such an important pillar within the team,” Wolff commented.

“It is a no-brainer that we continue with each other. The discussions are ongoing and with a very positive mind-set.

“It is just a matter of time, when we seal it and put the signature to the document.”

Alongside Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes also has a handful of junior drivers under contract.

Esteban Ocon is entering his second full season in Formula 1 with Force India, while GP3 champion George Russell will step up to Formula 2, with Formula 1 test/practice outings also mooted.

Pascal Wehrlein, meanwhile, is poised to retain a Mercedes role, despite missing out on a 2018 seat after Sauber opted to sign Charles Leclerc to partner Marcus Ericsson.

Wolff added that Mercedes has “a completely open mind-set” regarding its programme as it ensures it has a plan in place for when Hamilton retires.

“We are trying to keep our eyes open to identify the next Lewis Hamilton for in five, six or seven years, when Lewis eventually decides he has had enough of Formula 1,” Wolff said.

“We are approaching this with a completely open mind-set. We are even looking at karting. We are supporting a young Italian boy who is barely 12 years old. We enjoy doing that.

“It is just about identifying the talent, no matter where they are at the moment.”

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Di Resta wary of Williams’ ‘risky’ line-up

Paul di Resta has called Williams’ 2018 driver line-up a “risky decision” after losing out to Sergey Sirotkin in the race for the second seat.

Di Resta was one of three candidates to replace Felipe Massa as Lance Stroll’s 2018 team-mate.

However, rather than go with the experience that the Scot, or even Robert Kubica bring to the table, they opted to sign rookie driver Sirotkin.

As such Williams will have one of the most inexperienced line-ups as Stroll has just one year of racing under his belt.

And di Resta thinks that is a big risk for the team to take.

“I was very happy with the test I did [alongside Kubica in Hungary],” he told RACER. “Exceptionally happy with the test I did.

“I had one of those days in a car that you couldn’t ask for any better, and I feel that I delivered to the best of my potential, which they can see.

“It’s a risky decision, the driver line-up, in the experience the guys have got. Obviously Lance has got a year under his belt, Sirotkin coming in…

“The key things for me is already you’ve got McLaren who are a key championship contender and Renault as a constructor should be able to beat somebody like Williams. Where does that fall within where you are in keeping the momentum?

“Obviously as the years go on, the experience of having a Mercedes engine diminishes a bit, so they’ve got a tough ask.”

Di Resta added: “There’s more to the decisions than everything that comes out and fundamentally that board sat together and took what their best [decision] was from what they had on the table, for all the reasons that come into it.”

[MIKA27]

Wolff "bothered" by Ocon/Perez clashes at Force India

Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff says he was “bothered” by clashes between junior driver Esteban Ocon and his Force India teammate Sergio Perez in 2017.
Ocon joined Force India last season to partner Perez, with the two going on to clash on-track in Azerbaijan and Hungary – as well as disagreeing over their Canada battle - in their first campaign as teammates.

The pair then collided with each other twice in the Belgian Grand Prix, leading Force India to impose team orders on its drivers.

Ocon had approached Wolff for advice in dealing with Perez during their battles, but Wolff told Motorsport.com that, as a team boss, he was irritated by their clashes during 2017.

“What bothers us are these intra-team rivalries that end with two damaged cars,” said Wolff.

“This applies not only to Esteban, but also to Checo [Perez]. As a team boss, I'm so annoyed by that."

  

Ocon ended the season in eighth place in the drivers’ standings, one place and 13 points behind Perez in seventh.

Wolff says that Ocon must beat Perez in 2018 in order to continue his development.

“Esteban performed very well last year against a very strong Sergio Perez,” said Wolff.

“This year he has to take the next step and improve this performance. He is incredibly consistent, makes few mistakes and has great speed.

“This season, he will have to develop further in this respect and outperform Perez.”

Perez has warned Force India against repeating its team orders in 2018, as he expects McLaren and Renault to be sterner opposition next year.

[MIKA27]

Verstappen first teammate to challenge me - Ricciardo

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo says Max Verstappen is the only Formula 1 teammate he has had so far that he feels can challenge him.
The duo have been paired up at Red Bull since Verstappen was promoted from junior squad Toro Rosso to the senior team ahead of the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, which he won.

Previously, Ricciardo raced alongside Sebastian Vettel, whom he beat in the drivers' standings in 2014, Daniil Kvyat, Jean-Eric Vergne, Narain Karthikeyan and Vitantonio Liuzzi in an F1 career that began at HRT before he reached Red Bull via Toro Rosso.

Ricciardo feels none of those drivers pushed him like Verstappen has.

"I'm not saying I've had it easy in the past, but I think he's the first driver who can challenge me," Ricciardo told Motorsport.com.

"In the past, if I've done a high-speed corner and I've taken it flat-out for example, I've never had someone who can get there the same way.

"Max would at least go out there and try it. He's been able to match stuff easier than some other guys have."

Ricciardo has beaten Verstappen in the drivers' championship in both seasons he has raced alongside him.

But in 2017 Verstappen secured two grand prix wins to Ricciardo's one and had the better record head-to-head in qualifying (13-7) and the races when both cars finished (5-2).

Ricciardo felt that in 2016 he "had a clear edge if you were generalising our races together - he had some amazing races but I was better in qualifying and most Sundays".

Last season Ricciardo believes Verstappen's "qualifying improved" but found their relative race pace harder to judge.

"If we were to split the races, we both had an even amount of good races," he said. "His good days probably looked better because they weren't good days for me."

Ricciardo feels they are "relatively" evenly matched and expects a close fight in 2018.

"I know if I make a little mistake in the past, maybe I could end up ahead still in qualifying," said Ricciardo.

"Now, if I make a mistake, he's in front. It's the same if he doesn't quite put a perfect lap together, I'm in front. This is why I would say he's the better teammate.

"We've both raised our game. We can't afford to put a wheel wrong because we're going to get beaten."

[MIKA27]

FORMULA 1 GRID KIDS TO REPLACE GRID GIRLS

Formula 1 announced a “grid kids” programme on Monday to replace the female models who have previously featured before the start of every grand prix.

The sport’s owners said in a statement that the new arrangement, in partnership with the governing FIA, would “make the pre-race ceremony more relevant and interesting for fans, especially the younger ones”.

It said the youngsters would be selected by their motorsport clubs on merit, or by lottery, from among those already competing in karting or junior series.

Last week’s decision to abandon the decades-old practice of using walk-on female models to parade and hold up drivers’ numbers on the starting grid has put the sport on the front pages of newspapers and divided fans.

MIKA: How is this any better, IMO, it's worse.

So we've gone from women apparently being ogled and exploited to children being ogled and exploited? 

[MIKA27]

RENAULT AND BP CASTROL EXTEND FOR THE LONG-TERM

BP Castrol announced that they will continue to be sponsors of Renault Sport Racing for at least the next five years, after a successful first season partnership last year.

Press Release:

BP and Groupe Renault through Renault Sport Racing have today announced a significant strengthening of their relationship, which will see the global energy company continue its support of the Renault Sport Formula One Team for at least the next five years and explore new opportunities to work globally with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.

Building on their first season together, and a successful meeting between Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn and BP Group Chief Executive Bob Dudley during which they shared their vision for the future, BP, Castrol and Renault Sport Formula One Team will collaborate in a number of areas, both on and off the track.

In addition to the fuel and lubricants supply by BP Castrol, the partnership will go beyond Formula 1 and see the partners collaborate on the joint development of advanced mobility solutions and new technologies.

Jérôme Stoll, President of Renault Sport Racing, said: “We are tremendously proud to announce this significant strengthening of our relationship with BP Castrol after laying strong and stable foundations together in 2017. BP and Castrol are at the cutting edge in their respective fields and a partnership of this scope, breadth and duration highlights the intents and goals of both parties.”

Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO BP Downstream, said: “We look forward to our continued relationship in Formula 1 and to exploring a wider global co-operation with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance including the further joint development of advanced mobility solutions and new technologies. The automotive landscape is changing faster than ever before and BP is committed to remaining a leader in the development and marketing of fuels and lubricants. This partnership enables us to combine the excellent skills and knowledge across both organizations to tackle the challenges and explore the opportunities of this rapidly evolving market.”

BP and Castrol are the official fuel and lubricant provider for the Renault Sport Formula One Team. Castrol also supplies lubricants to the team’s Enstone technical centre and Renault Sport Racing’s Viry-Châtillon engine operations base.

The BP and Castrol brands will continue to be seen on the team’s Formula 1 livery, including the 2018 R.S.18 car, which will be unveiled online on February 20.

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[MIKA27]

PERMANE: SIROTKIN HAS THE PACE AND WORK ETHIC

Renault trackside operations director Alan Permane believes that his team’s former test driver Sergey Sirotkin deserves to be in Formula 1 because of his sheer pace and impressive work ethic.

Goss has come out in support of Sirotkin in the wake of Williams confirming him to the team alongside Lance Stroll in 2018 and with it ending the dream of Robert Kubica, the fan favourite, to return to the pinnacle of the sport with Williams in 2018.

Permane who worked with Sirotkin at Renault was asked if he believes the Russian deserves to be in F1, he replied, “I think so. Honestly, genuinely. I know I’m always likely to say that because he is working with us, but I think he’s got the pace. I really do. And certainly he’s got, let’s say, the work ethic.”

“He’s had some really bad luck with us. We haven’t done a good enough job for him, honestly, on Fridays. He’s driven the car four times and I think twice it completely failed on him.”

“But in that time, if you look at his lap time, certainly compared to [Jolyon] Palmer in Malaysia in the wet and compared to our sort of immediate competitors, he does a good job for someone who doesn’t drive the car very much. He was very quick.”

“On the other side of things out of the car, I can’t fault him at all. The effort he puts in, the feedback he gives in the office, what he is happy to do work-wise with the engineers, there are absolutely no problems at all.”

Nico Hulkenberg agrees with Permane, “He is a very humble guy. He is very down-to-earth. He is a very hard-working guy, too,” said Hulkenberg.

“Unfortunately he’s had quite a bit of bad luck. Whenever he had a chance to run in P1 a few times there were technical issues or the weather was bad, there was always something. I feel a little bit for him, that he never got to show what he can do, because I think he is quite a skilled driver.”

As for the reports that Sirotkin got the Williams seat purely because of the money he brought to the team, Permane said, “I don’t think they were fair at all. I don’t think the press got correct information or anything. And honestly, to compare across two days, it doesn’t mean so much.”

[MIKA27]

MCLAREN: OUR 2018 F1 CAR IS ONE OUR DRIVERS CAN TRUST

McLaren are focused on providing their two drivers – Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne – a car that is plug-and-play while capable of being developed during the course of a brutally long 21 race season.

Technical chief Tim Goss said, “So much of producing a great F1 car these days is giving the driver a car that they can exploit. There is no point in giving them a car with very peaky performance. What we are trying to do is give the driver something that operates very well over a broad operating envelope.”

“Initially we are not worried about what level of performance we are going to put on the car. What we wanted to do was understand the flow physics and try to get good, well-behaved aerodynamics across the range of the operating envelope of yaw/steer/roll and ride-height.”

“And only when we did that and we were happy that we had well-behaved aerodynamics did we start to build the performance. So our approach these days is very much about giving the driver something they can trust and work with, and peaky load is in our view not the way to produce a quick aerodynamic package for the driver, or vehicle dynamics change.”

In 2017, with a gross power deficit, Tim explained how the team tackled the situation, “Even trimming a bit of downforce off the car and trimming to a lower wing level, we were still not going to get our car to the point where we have that raceability in a straight line.”

“So our approach has been to always go for the quickest laptime and our tactics coming to a race weekend were to qualify as well as we can, and then aim to defend that position based on laptime. In some races that was extremely difficult.”

“We improved the car quite considerably around the Hungarian GP, had a great race in Hungary and then got to Belgium and just went backwards. We went backwards not because of our laptime but because we had zero ability to defend in a straight line.”

“That period of Belgium-Italy was immensely frustrating because we knew we had car performance but we couldn’t defend. We are here to win races and win championships and with the car the approach we take is to design around success.”

“Rather than put sticking plasters to try to cope with the fact that we had an underpowered engine, what we really wanted to do is develop the best car and assume the engine is going to come,” added Goss and hinting at the high expectations that McLaren have and will have for their new engine supplier Renault.

[MIKA27]

NAOMI CAMPBELL: I HAVE NEVER FOUND GRID GIRLS OFFENSIVE

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has weighed in on Formula 1’s controversial decision to abolish the role of grid girls, saying she has never found the tradition offensive after the sport’s US owners have scrapped the practice, saying it is at odds with modern-day societal norms.

Campbell, 47, told Good Morning Britain that she did not know about the move to end the long-standing association, but that she had “never found it offensive”.

Comparing the role with her own as a model, she said: “There’s no difference. It’s another way of doing it. I’m in front of the camera. They’re holding up the numbers so that the drivers can all get in place.

“I’ve been to so many races. I’ve never been put off by it. I’ve never found it offensive and I’ve walked on that grid many times. For me, they’re representing their country. They’re proud to be representing their country whatever way they can. It’s been that way for years.”

Asked on the ITV show whether the grid girls should “get their jobs back”, she replied: ” Have they been fired? I didn’t know that. Oh my goodness. That’s not nice.”

The move at Formula One follows a similar decision by the Professional Darts Corporation and puts other sports in the spotlight, with boxing, UFC and cycling all still hiring glamorous women to entertain crowds at events.

Some grid girls have hit back at what they perceive to be an invasion of their right to make their own decisions.

Campbell also spoke about her past reputation for diva-like behaviour, saying: “I’m just in a different place in my life. I’m really chilled and doing the things I want to do.”

She said that she identified as a feminist and had no problem with the likes of Kim Kardashian and model Emily Ratajkowski taking topless selfies, “That’s what they want to do. It took me years to feel comfortable doing pictures in lingerie.”

[MIKA27]

Are you ready? Firing up the 2018 Mercedes F1 car

Nervous energy fills the air. Twelve calendar months, a thousand man years in the making. And now, a first milestone passed.

MIKA: Mercedes Twitter and Instagram also state "A milestone achieved..." Does that mean 1000bhp? I wonder

 

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‘Liberty must decide rules, give ultimatums’

Christian Horner believes Liberty Media and the FIA should decide F1’s rules, and then it is up to the teams whether they want to race under those conditions.

Formula 1 is currently debating a way forward for when the existing Concorde Agreement expires in 2020.

Last year Liberty laid out what they believe could be the new engine regulations only for Ferrari to baulk at it while Mercedes also stated they weren’t happy.

Horner reckons the teams shouldn’t even have a say.

The Red Bull team boss told Racer: “I think Liberty and the FIA are going to have to come up with a set of rules and say: ‘That’s what Formula 1 is, sign up or not’, and it’s in each team’s choice to decide if they want to be in the game or not.”

He added that while he’s not entirely happy with the proposed 2021 engine rules, given that he wants a return to V10s, he concedes there is logic to keeping the current V6s in play.

“I’d be lying if I said I was totally happy, because ideally I would have loved a V10 or V12 normally-aspirated screaming engine, but I can understand the reasoning behind the engine that they’ve picked,” he added.

“They’re trying to be responsible in ensuring cost, performance, noise – it ticks all the boxes that an engine should do in Formula 1.

“We’re already seeing interest from manufacturers like [Red Bull title partner] Aston Martin if it’s affordable and reasonable value.”

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Norris admits his F1 future depends on Alonso

Lando Norris says the timing of his opportunity to make his Formula 1 debut with McLaren hinges on how long Fernando Alonso stays with the team.
Norris, who will fulfil reserve driver duties for McLaren in F1 this year, won the European Formula 3 championship last year and will race in F2 for Carlin in 2018.

When asked if he was essentially waiting for Alonso to retire to move up into a race seat, Norris said: "Obviously from that, I would say so, but I couldn't really say what they are thinking.

"I guess you have to wait for what Fernando wants to do and I think they are happy with Stoffel [Vandoorne] and it is quite early in his career.

"Obviously he can develop a lot and definitely improve as a driver going into 2018.

  

"So it is a bit of it is waiting to see what they are going to do but I can't really say what else is going to happen - it is a bit hard for me."

Norris admitted he would have to look at opportunities elsewhere on the F1 grid if a vacancy at McLaren didn't come up, but he stressed his priority it to race for the British team.

"Obviously my aim is to be at McLaren," he said. "If I can't get a drive here, then I have to look at other opportunities.

"If they say 'We're not really going to have a drive [available] for three years or something, then it is obvious that I am going to have to go elsewhere.

"But if it is just one year, I think I'll still stick with McLaren and deal with one year out. The aim is to be with McLaren."

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Renault warns F1 against making 'frightening' changes to 2021 engines

Having to start from scratch on engine design for the 2021 Formula 1 regulations would be "frightening" for Renault.

F1 chiefs floated initial plans for the next generation of regulations late last year and proposed that the 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid concept was retained, but with changes including the removal of the MGU-H, development restrictions and a higher rev limit.

Firm details of the rules are still awaited, and Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul said it was essential that the changes were not a complete technical reset.

"We would like to avoid almost starting from scratch again," Abiteboul told Autosport.

"If I look at the investment that has been made in the engine, if I look at the time that it is taking to get to a situation where it is not a level playing field, but that the engine is not a handicap anymore for chassis people - because that is what you want: a disparity where a team is not prevented from winning races or doing a decent job by its engine partner - frankly starting from scratch again is quite frightening."

Renault powered Red Bull to four straight championships in the final years of the previous V8 engine rules, but received strong criticism from its former factory partner team for problems with both performance and reliability at the start of the hybrid era.

Race wins in the hybrid era
Mercedes 63
Ferrari 8
Renault 8
Honda 0

Mercedes has won every title so far under the current engine regulations, and was considered to have a substantial power advantage until Ferrari mounted a championship challenge in 2017.

Abiteboul is optimistic about the process of negotiating the rules package with F1's new owner Liberty Media, but warned Renault needed specifics to guarantee its long-term future in the championship.

"I feel everyone is willing to have constructive dialogue and get very quickly to a solution," he said.

"Having said that, we are not going to commit to a new engine without knowing what F1 will look like in 2021."

[MIKA27]

A brief history of girls in F1

Source: Joe Saward

As even bushmen in the Kalahari now know, Formula 1 has announced that it is ending the long-standing practice of using grid girls. For many of the fans it is a bit like having Trooping the Colour without guardsmen. To be fair to the sport, it has been a long time since the girls of F1 were really raunchy in dress. I have spent an enjoyable few minutes looking at the hundreds of photos of grid girls that my colleague Peter Nygaard has taken over the years, which are on his website and what one sees instantly is that the idea originated from sponsors in the years after the so-called sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.

Even before that was in full swing there were people campaigning against the permissive nature of society, notably a lady called Mary Whitehouse, a staunchy conservative, who launched the Clean-Up TV group as early as 1964. She was not just opposed to sexual exploitation, she was opposed to pretty much everything: bad language, violence, homosexuality, you name it, she was against it – and this undermined her cause. In the late 1970's that things got down to bikini level before the sport headed off into an era of jump suits and big hair.

The voices of complaint in recent years have not gone unnoticed and in the modern era the style has changed in many countries, although the level of elegance involved has generally depended on the individual race promoters.

The ladies in Australia would not look out out of place spectating at polo matches, while the girls in China could go straight to the opera and would fit in well. The Austrians always wear dirndls and you would need to be Benny Hill to get excited about that kind of clothing. In the Middle East, where these things matter more, there are generally flight attendants (I dare not say stewardesses for fear of being lynched), with the ladies acting as direct marketing for the race sponsors. In general one sees more flesh in North America (where they seem to have a lot of it) while Malaysia went off the rails a little a few years back with silver lamé trousers, which were decidedly out of place. In Texas we tend to get cowgirls or cheerleaders, but no-one is wearing anything that their mothers would not let them go out in these days. In fact, it is quite usual for the fans to be dressed far more sexily than the grid girls.

Santander, in particular, pioneered shapeless red sacks for its representatives, while TAG-Heuer showed a little more imagination with elegant dresses, with some cheeky TAG tattoos at Monte Carlo.

Still, Liberty Media feels that it is better for F1 to get rid of these troublesome women and I am curious to see what happens next. I notice that the company also owns the Atlanta Braves baseball team, which according to its website has a very active cheerleader team, none of them being men. In fact, they wear less demure things than most F1 grid girls. It will be most interesting to see if these ladies are also dispensed with, or wether Liberty will leave itself open to accusations of having double standards and accepting something in the United States while rejecting the same thing in Formula 1.

Anyway, the Formula One group and the FIA has now announced a new partnership, called Grid Kids, to make the pre-race ceremony more relevant and interesting for fans, especially the younger ones. The joint initiative will involve the local Grand Prix promoter working alongside ASNs – the FIA-recognised national sporting authorities – who will provide a unique opportunity to youngsters and their families to be part of one of the most exclusive and exciting moments of the whole race weekend. The youngsters will be chosen by their motorsport clubs on merit, or by lottery, and will already be competing in karting or junior formulae. The lucky few will then be able to accompany and stand alongside the 20 best drivers in the world on the grid as they prepare for the race.

[LLC]

How is this any better, IMO, it's worse.
So we've gone from women apparently being ogled and exploited to children being ogled and exploited? 


Ridiculous. So instead of paying for grid girls they are going to get kids to do it for free. As they try to grow the sport they are alienating their core fans that built the sport.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Martin_F]

14 hours ago, LLC said:

Ridiculous. So instead of paying for grid girls they are going to get kids to do it for free. As they try to grow the sport they are alienating their core fans that built the sport.

My thoughts exactly!

[BrightonCorgi]

Find me a grid girl who thought she was being exploited.  The new management of F1 is doing its best to alienate their core audience.  Maybe they think the core will stay no matter what.  F1's title sponsor is Rolex, not Mattel.  Very few families go to the races due to ticket prices.  Just because the Premier league has kids coming out with the players does not mean the same should be for F1.  F1 managed take away a good weekend gig for hundred's of women around the world!

[MIKA27]

2 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

F1's title sponsor is Rolex, not Mattel. 

Don't speak too soon.... the year is young  

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VERSTAPPEN: I WILL KNOW HOW GOOD THE RB14 WILL BE AFTER FIRST DAY

Max Verstappen has been chilling with his mates in between trips to the Red Bull factory, in Milton Keynes, to stay up to date with developments on the team’s RB14 2018 Formula 1 challenger which he will drive during testing in Barcelona at the end of this month.

The young Dutchman is certain that by the end of Day 1 of testing he will know how good his new car will be, “After the first day definitely. Yes, absolutely.”

“That’s exactly it: normally it gives you an impression of where you are at the beginning of the year. But the most important thing is to test the reliability and to see how the car behaves during the tests.”

Embarking on his fourth season in F1, Verstappen admitted, “You’re a bit more relaxed. You know what to expect. It’s more: go with the flow. Physically you get stronger of course, so you work out harder, but in general, I would say that the preparation is in that respect basically the same.”

As for his downtime, he revealed, “Just being at home, gaming with my friends, going out, eating out. And sleeping – a lot of sleeping!”

At the same time, visits to the factory are frequent during the offseason, “I have spent a great many days there. End of December and beginning of January I was off, but after that, you’re quickly back at work again.”

Ahead of the new season, Verstappen admits he is confident but at the same is cautious, “We still need to of course wait and see how competitive we are with the new car and engine. But being a driver, you always need to have faith in yourself.”

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WEBBER: BEST THING RICCIARDO CAN DO IS BEAT VERSTAPPEN

Mark Webber knows a thing or two about politics at Red Bull and with that in mind he has only one piece of advice for his fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo: beat Max Verstappen.

Webber, who was a Red Bull driver for seven years of which the final four were packed with conflict and intrigue as he tussled – on track and off track – against teammate Sebastian Vettel.

The German was seen as the team’s favourite son, and as a result, Webber was eventually reduced to a secondary role as Vettel wrapped up four world titles in a row while they were teammates.

Now a similar scenario is panning out with Ricciardo and Verstappen, the young Dutchman seen as the driver to lead the team for the next three years. A deal to such effect is done and dusted, while Ricciardo has yet to commit to extending his contract with the energy drinks outfit beyond 2018.

Webber failed to match or contain Vettel during their years as teammates, but he still has advice for Ricciardo, “I think the best thing he can do is beat Max. That’s the best thing he can do. Which he knows, and he’s going to do his best to do that. If he wants to try and have a crack at that for five-six months, then look at the options.”

Much has been written about Ricciardo’s reluctance to ink a deal until he is sure that the Red Bull package will be a front-runner not only in 2018, but also in 2019 and thereafter.

Should he look at opportunities on the grid for the near future, it is clear that anything other than Ferrari or Mercedes would be a step backwards in his career. Interestingly either option for Ricciardo is possible and realistic too.

Ricciardo has been mentioned in the same breath as Ferrari for a number of years and is likely to remain so until a decision is made. Nevertheless, Vettel permitting he would be a very strong option for Maranello to replace Kimi Raikkonen at the Scuderia beyond 2018.

As for the Mercedes option. which would mean replacing Valtteri Bottas, Webber said, “That’s like dog’s balls, everyone can see that coming. There’s an obvious link — they’re both out of contract, he’s a top-flight driver and there’s a chance for a switch.”

“I don’t think Mercedes will be rushing to make a decision either, they’re going to keep a good eye on Valtteri and see how he’s performing, probably until Canada.”

Ricciardo’s third option is to simply stay with Red Bull which the team is keen to have happen as they are well satisfied with both their drivers.

Should Ricciardo extend with the energy drinks outfit, Webber predicted, “Red Bull will support the guy that’s leading the championship and doing the business. If that’s Daniel, I reckon he’s still in great shape there, to be honest, because he is a Red Bull product.

“I don’t think Helmut would be disappointed to see Daniel as world champion. But he loves Max as well. They’re both his favourite guys. But if he’s beating Max and Red Bull are flying again, why would he leave?”

“At the end of the day, I don’t think Dan’s too bothered what colour the car is. He just wants to win. That’s what he’s aiming to do, and it’s hard to win consistently. They don’t hand them out. He’s totally capable of it, but he’s just got to find himself in a position where he can get that opportunity,” added Webber.

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MERCEDES ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR DEAL WITH TOMMY HILFIGER

Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton will be wearing Tommy Hilfiger this season after his Mercedes team announced a multi-year partnership with the global fashion brand.

The deal to be the official apparel partner comes after Hugo Boss switched to the all-electric Formula E championship.

Mercedes said Hilfiger, owned by PVH Corp, would also have its branding on the 2018 car due to be unveiled at Silverstone later this month by Hamilton and Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas.

Hilfiger previously sponsored Ferrari, when seven times champion Michael Schumacher was driving for that team, and now-defunct Lotus.

Press Release:

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is delighted to announce a multi-year strategic partnership with Tommy Hilfiger, owned by PVH Corp., from the 2018 season onwards.

Tommy Hilfiger will become the Official Apparel Partner of the team, building on the sport sponsorship heritage that Tommy Hilfiger has embraced since first founding his brand, and underscoring his vision to continuously elevate and expand the brand in key markets to the next generation of Tommy Hilfiger consumers.

The new partnership will see Tommy Hilfiger providing Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s race and travel wear, as well as factory, office and hospitality clothing. The distinctive Tommy Hilfiger logo will debut on the Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+ car at the team’s launch event at Silverstone, UK later this month, as well as featuring on garage and trackside assets.

“We are delighted to welcome Tommy Hilfiger to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and back to the world of Formula One,” said Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. “It is always exciting to embark on a new partnership, particularly when it touches such a key area of our team’s image; I am positive that it will energise our brand and bring a new spin to how we are perceived from this season. We are excited to see how Tommy Hilfiger will dress the team this season and to showcase their exciting plans to the fans of Formula One.”

The Tommy Hilfiger brand heritage is closely linked to working with sports icons and pop culture. Tommy Hilfiger’s history with Formula One began through team sponsorship in 1991 and continued throughout the decade.

“From the first time I attended a Formula One race, I was completely fascinated by the world of motorsports,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “To be re-entering this arena with World Champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and their number one team is an incredible way to fuse fashion and Formula One. I recognise the passion, spirit and drive that the entire Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team shows at every race, and these shared qualities are why I’m excited to partner with them for the upcoming seasons.”

The Spring Tommy Hilfiger campaign celebrates the fusion of fashion and Formula One, with Tommy Hilfiger and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport sharing a pioneering spirit and drive to succeed.

“The exciting partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is a celebration of our shared commitment to keep technology and innovation at the core of our business,” said Daniel Grieder, CEO Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe. “We take pride in partnering with organisations that are the best in their industries and share our passion to attract and retain the best-in-class teams. We are excited to leverage the incredible reach that Formula One has worldwide as we continue to build on our brand’s global recognition and bring Tommy Hilfiger to new audiences.”

[MIKA27]

Russia's Sochi circuit set for new owners

The Sochi Autodrom, home to Russia's Formula 1 race, is set for a change of ownership.

The track, built around the 2014 Winter Olympics infrastructure, is currently owned by the regional administration’s Center Omega venture, an entity which is controlled by the government of South Russia’s Krasnodar Territory, which also holds the race contract.

A spokesperson for the enterprise told state news agency Tass that plans are taking shape for a new backer to take control. “The racetracks are being handed over, terms and conditions are currently being discussed,” the spokesperson said.

Tass added that the Russian government is currently preparing legislation amendments to make the circuit state-owned or hand it over to a non-commercial organisation which would be exempt from value-added tax. The amendments are to reportedly enter force in July 2019.

In February 2017, Russian GP organisers agreed a five-year extension to their Formula 1 race deal, taking the contract through to 2025. Russia’s previous deal, running from 2014 to 2020, was signed by then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the sport’s chief executive at the time, Bernie Ecclestone, back in 2010.

Russian financial services group VTB had earlier signed on as title sponsor of the country’s round of the championship. The agreement was the first major sponsorship deal to be announced following the sport's takeover by US media conglomerate Liberty Media.

At the time, the deal meant the race promoter fees were no longer being paid by the Russian government. Russian GP promoter Sergey Vorobyov told media it was "a complex deal, which combines the promoter contract".

[MIKA27]

McLaren: Alonso can win a third World title

Zak Brown firmly believes Fernando Alonso can win a third World title but McLaren need to give him a car that gives him a chance.

Alonso last won a World title back in 2006 with Renault before finishing runner-up three times with Ferrari.

The lack of a third championship crown prompted a move to McLaren in 2015, however, that has been anything but successful given their troubles with the Honda power unit.

This season McLaren will instead race with Renault engines with Brown believing they are on course for a much-improved season.

“I think we’re going to be good. We’re going to be back towards the front of the field and hopefully fighting for podiums,” he said in an interview with Spanish daily AS.

As for whether a third title awaits Alonso, the McLaren chief replied: “Yeah. As long as we can get a car that gives him a chance, I think as a driver he’s certainly as capable as anyone of winning the world championship. He’s driving as well as he’s ever driven.”

He added: “His talent is second to none in the car. But I think the real difference is [that] his preparation, dedication, passion and focus outside of the race car is unlike any other driver I’ve ever seen.

“I was never around Michael Schumacher, but from what I hear, and how he carried himself, Michael had that level of dedication, and Ayrton Senna. Some other drivers can’t hold their focus and passion that long. And he’s very special in that manner.”

MIKA: I agree and disagree with Zak.

Can Alonso win another WDC: Yes, absolutely provided he stays focused and gets a decent car. Alonso IMO is the best in talent on the field.

The dedication part is where I sit on the fence and kinda disagree with the comparisons of Schumacher and Senna as well as a few others.

"Holding focus?" Alonso if anything has a massive year ahead venturing into other categories. How is this focus?

I see this as a distraction and really, guessing Alonso is seriously considering testing out the waters within other categories so that if this season doesn't hold out in his favour, he'll possibly move onto the other disciplines. Schumacher and Senna didn't venture into other fields, they remained in Formula 1.

[MIKA27]

Haas won't be left behind in 2018 - Grosjean

Romain Grosjean is confident that Haas will not be left behind in the Formula 1 battle this year, even though some of its closest rivals are expected to make big gains in 2018.
Although Haas finished ahead of McLaren last season, and ended up just 10 points adrift of Renault, Grosjean knows that some big-money opposition from last year is expected to move out of reach this time around.

Grosjean accepts that Haas may not be able to keep up with the likes of McLaren and Renault, but he thinks there is still plenty for the team to target, as he suggests Toro Rosso and Williams could be in reach.

When asked by Motorsport.com if he expected things to be harder for Haas in 2018, he said: "I don't know. Some teams are going to have maybe a less powerful power unit, so one goes up and one goes down. I think we don't want to go down in the order.

"McLaren is going to be super strong. They have a huge resource, they have the biggest factory in F1, and the Renault engine is a decent engine.

  

"They have had reliability issues but power wise they are up there, Renault is on a high too, and they have been developing pretty well so they should be up there as well.

"The question is Williams and Force India. Of course McLaren is going to be there with Red Bull and then it will be Renault, but the question is Williams, Force India, ourselves and Toro Rosso with the new power unit."

Grosjean believes that the key to Haas making a good step in 2018 is to get more on top of its aerodynamic development programme, after feeling that it did not make sufficient gains in this area last year.

"The best is to focus on our own work and we know where we can improve," he said. "There are a few areas where we need to focus on and get better.

"One is making sure that the updates when they are coming are working well and they have been validated before, so not losing three months of time to bring something that doesn't bring what it was supposed to do.

"I am not going to go through everything because it is confidential but that is just an example."

He added: "This is two years in a row where the trend is to go a bit down during the year. We started twice with a very, very good platform and we have been struggling with the tyres.

"We are not up there with tyre usage and understanding. Behind the scenes there are a lot of things we can coordinate better between the factory in Maranello, the one in Dallara and the one in England to make things run smoother and more efficient."

[MIKA27]

WEHRLEIN: WE COULD NOT RAISE THE €15-MILLION PER YEAR

The biggest loser in Formula 1’s musical chairs for 2018 was Pascal Wehrlein, the talented Mercedes protege found himself without a drive for the season when Sauber committed themselves to a more intensive partnership with Ferrari and now the 23-year-old heads back to DTM where he once was champion.

There were big changes with Sauber during the latter part of last season, by the time the dust had settled at Hinwill, Marcus Ericsson was retained while Charles Leclerc got his break as part the Ferrari engine barter package.

At one point there was an outside chance of Wehrlein joining Mercedes powered Williams, but he simply did not have the financial muscle to match Sergey Sirotkin who sealed the deal for what is believed to be around €15-million for the season.

Wehrlein was thus without a drive despite trouncing Ericsson in their year together in 2017. Instead, the German will be Mercedes F1 reserve while contesting the DTM series in 2018 with Mercedes.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on an F1 drive, Wehrlein accepted his plight, “We could not raise the €15-million per year. It is disappointing that it did not work out with Formula 1 for now but that’s the business.”

“Unfortunately, I did not get the drive, but for me, I had to race in 2018 that was not negotiable and DTM has always been an option. That’s why the decision was relatively easy for me. It is also the last year for Mercedes [in DTM] and we want to give it everything to win.”

Asked if he felt that a good showing in DTM could pave his way back to the F1 grid, Wehrlein said, “That’s not in my power. I think so if I’m right up there again that could put me in a better position. Hopefully next year (2019) I will be in a good position and find the [F1] cockpit that I want.”

Of his return to DTM where he emerged as a talent for the future, claiming the title in 2015, Wehrlein said, “I would like to continue where I left off in 2015, but it will be more difficult than 2015 because I have not raced a touring car for two years and a lot has changed in the DTM.”

“But I have the highest expectations of myself and want to be competitive as soon as possible. First of all, I have to get back into the whole topic. At the moment I still have the Formula 1 feeling in me and the driving style.”

As much as Wehrlein impressed in his season with Sauber, he was never close to the sharp end of proceedings in F1 and any thoughts of a podium, let alone winning, were simply not on his radar for obvious reasons.

Thus it is no surprise when he was asked what he looks forward to most about returning to DTM, he replied, “To win races. I have not won races for two years and that’s not easy. I missed the feeling very much and that was also a big incentive to come back: to have a car with which I can race at the front again and win.”

Wehrlein made 39 grand prix starts in his two years with Manor and Sauber before his F1 career was put on pause, but you get the feeling that the young German still has unfinished business at the pinnacle of the sport.

MIKA: Well there ya go. €15-million for the Williams seat... Shows that talent loses out on cash flow.